Max Verstappen delivers savage comment about Jos Verstappen’s F1 career

Mark Scott
Max Verstappen and Jos Verstappen celebrate title success. Austin, October 2022.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and father Jos Verstappen celebrate title success. Austin, October 2022.

Max Verstappen couldn’t resist a playful dig at his father’s F1 career in footage released from a documentary giving a behind-the-scenes look at the two-time World Champion’s life.

Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion is a three-part documentary series aired by Swedish media group Viaplay, giving fans exclusive access into the life of the Red Bull driver as he cruised towards a second World Championship title.

A lot of column inches have been dedicated to Max’s upbringing and it is a subject that also comes under heavy focus in this particular documentary, too. However, this series has produced some lighter, comical moments.

In one episode, a discussion is taking place over family dinner with Max suggesting for the house: “You could install a bathtub on it. A wide one.”

Jos Verstappen then pokes fun at himself by saying: “I already have trouble getting in and out!”

Then Max delivers a very cheeky reply: “Luckily you’ve had a lot of practice getting out of cars!”

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Max Verstappen is of course referencing his father’s long, but ultimately unsuccessful F1 career in which 105 career starts resulted in just two podium finishes and zero poles, zero wins and zero fastest laps to his name.

The former Benetton, Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows and Minardi driver’s career was littered with race retirements. Of those 105 career starts, over 50% of them resulted in a DNF.

Much has been made of how Jos Verstappen brought Max up on his path to becoming a multiple-time World Champion, but while he has admitted to being tough on his son, he has insisted it never crossed the line and headed into abusive behaviour.

Max Verstappen also spoke of his father’s influence on his F1 career in episode 1 of ‘Anatomy of a Champion’.

He said: “I know that everything I achieve right now is because of the guidance I had when I was little.

“It was my dad teaching me how to be the driver that I am today.”

Jos Verstappen, who said he had no regrets about how he guided Max through the ranks, was clearly determined to ensure that his son did not waste his supreme talent.

Jos said: “Quite early on, you could see that Max had quite a special gift. The way he sees things, the way he was overtaking.

“I knew that he was on a very high level for his age.”